The Revolt of Chinese “Red Engineers” ——from the Department of Technological Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences, to the Independent Chinese Academy of Engineering

• In Event: (Re)Thinking Mobilities and Chinese STS:" The Politics, Practices, and Cultural Logics of Diasporic Chinese Scientists in Technosciences, 1919–2018

Abstract

In the past, scholars have paid more attention to the history of engineers themselves as well as their social appeals. However, there is a lack of in-depth discussion on the question of evolved relationship between engineers and scientists in social development after post-war II.
In socialist China moving towards the ambitious industrialization, engineers with lower academic recognition and social status, not only competed but also cooperated with scientist on defense research projects during 1950-1970. In post-Reform PRC after 1978, the central government called for the integration of science and economy, carried out the scientific and technological system reform. Meanwhile the cadre team reform seeking for younger and more intellectual engineers to be political leaders. As one result, the Department of Technological Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), gradually departed from the CAS, and established Chinese Academy of engineering (CAE) as an independent honorable institution in 1994.
This article will take use of interdisciplinary research methods, combine literature research, oral interviews with original archives, look into the original archives of the CAS and archives of the CAE, in order to recover the historical process. This research will broden the STS research by deepening public understanding towards the history of engineering and engineers.

Author

• Zhihui Zhang, Chinese Academy of Science